Month: December 2015

Hello, beer-lovers! It seems hard to believe, but we’ve nearly reached the end of our season here at the Black Creek Historic Brewery. Black Creek closes for the season on Wednesday, December 23rd, 2015. So, you’ve got one more week to come down, stock up on growlers (the Winter Warmer is out and lovely and citrus-y), join us for tours and samplings, and of course, celebrate with us during our final Christmas by Lamplight evening.

We will be back on May 1st, 2016, stocked with beer and full of cheer.

Photo by James Bowers.

Need your beer/beer history fix before that? Don’t worry! Our commercial brews will be available in the LCBO all winter long. The Rifleman’s Ration is a permanent listing (you can also get it from the Beer Store, if you so choose), the Benson Strong Ale will be out for a while, and you can check the LCBO website to see what other seasonal favourites are in stock!

This blog will go quieter as I make my habitual trips southward (I am not a cold-weather creature), but I’ll still be popping up occasionally. After all, I’ve had some very fine beers and beer-adventures in the States, and I look forward to sharing my explorations with you!

So to round out 2015, I’d like to indulge in a moment of sentimentality. ‘Tis the season, after all.

I love our little brewery. I really do. My very first Christmas by Lamplight, I was assigned there as an extra pair of hands. The moment I walked in, that was it for me. I loved it.

I love my perch on the barstool. You can see everything from there: the gleaming copper brew-kettle, and the squat mash tun, and the casks all neatly stacked and waiting. It’s a little space. A tucked-away space. But it’s full of the sweet smell of barley, and the steam that creeps along the ceiling when Ed cools the wort.

It’s a little space, but it fits a lot of people, and I think that’s what I love most of all—the stories and the people we meet, and the eyes that light up when someone tries something they really like. Every tour, every sample—you make each one unique, each one memorable. Thank you for that. Truly.

We are releasing a new LCBO beer – the Benson Strong Ale. You may have tried its predecessor – the Olde Ale – at the Black Creek Historic Brewery this past summer. This ale is our interpretation of Thomas Benson’s recipe for “Strong Beer”. This recipe was very kindly passed along to us by the Ontario Archives – a very big and heartfelt thank you to them! Without their generosity and diligent research, this beer would not have been possible.

Photo by James Bowers.

The Benson Strong Ale rings in at 6%. It pours fairly dark, coppery amber. Additions of star anise (which produces flavours similar to Benson’s liquorice root) and molasses lend this beer a smooth, complex sweetness. Like our summertime experiment, this beer has a touch of cayenne pepper. As we learned last week from our primary source investigations last week, such spices could be used to “liven” up beer and give it a little extra kick. The cayenne here is quite subtle: just a bit of warmth running into the chest on the finish. Mouthfeel: medium weight, and a round body. This isn’t your usual 2015 beer – but it’s a highly drinkable, satisfying brew.

And more excitement! This Saturday, December 5th, Ed and I are making a trip to Peterborough to officially launch the Benson Strong Ale (Thomas Benson was the first mayor of Peterborough, you see, taking office in 1850!). If you’re in the area, come out, say hi, and try some beer!

In other news, tomorrow also marks our first Christmas by Lamplight celebration, during which we’re officially releasing this year’s Winter Warmer. Tasting notes on that to come.